Retractable aspirator tubing and sheath for surgical use

ABSTRACT

Sheath open only at its ends can be mounted with one end in sterile field. Other end connected to suction source. One end of flexible tubing in sheath communicates with suction source. Other end of tubing may be withdrawn from sheath at will to transmit suction to operative field, and returned to sheath during periods of non-use. Tubing may be resiliently formed for retraction, e.g., it may have a helical shape when retracted.

United States Patent Heimlich RETRACTABLE ASPIRATOR TUBING AND SHEATH FOR SURGICAL USE Inventor: Henry J. Heimlich, 3850 Clifton Ave.,

Cincinnati, Ohio 45220 Filed: Jan. 21, 1970 Appl. No.: 12,876

Related US. Application Data Division of Ser. No. 687,715, Dec. 4, 1967, Pat. No. 3,537,457.

US. Cl 128/276, 15/315 Int. Cl. ..A6lm 1/00 Field of Search 128/276-278;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Bender .32/33 51 May 23, 1972 3,021,871 2/1962 Rogers ..138/118 2,905,194 9/1959 Smith et al 138/110 X 3,288,169 11/1966 Moss ..138/118 2,449,497 9/ 1948 McLeod .128/276 3,353,996 11/1967 Hamrick... ..134/21 1,748,853 2/1930 Squires 15/323 X 2,607,863 9/1952 MacFarland ..15/323 X Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant Examiner--Paul E. Shapiro Attorney-Breitenfeld and Levine [5 7] ABSTRACT Sheath open only at its ends can be mounted with one end in sterile field. Other end connected to suction source. One end of flexible tubing in sheath communicates with suction source. Other end of tubing may be withdrawn from sheath at will to transmit suction to operative field, and returned to sheath during periods of non-use. Tubing may be resiliently formed for retraction, e.g., it may have a helical shape when retracted.

6 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures RETRACTABLE ASPIRATOR TUBING AND SHEATH FOR SURGICAL USE This application is a division of copending application Ser. No. 687,715, filed Dec. 4, 1967, now US. Pat. No. 3,537,457.

This invention relates to surgical accessories, and more particularly to the aspirator, or suction, tubing employed during all major, and many minor, surgical operations.

During operations of this type, suction is used to remove blood and other fluid from the wound. For this purpose, a length of flexible tubing is furnished having a relatively rigid suction tip at one end, the suction tip being manipulated within the operative field when required, and laid aside when not in use. The other end of the tubing is connected to a source of suction commonly available in hospital operating rooms.

Several problems are presented by the suction tubing as it is used at the present time. These problems are, for the most part, related to the fact that at the time of a surgical operation, a sterile field exists in the immediate vicinity of the top of the operating table, but not elsewhere. Obviously, any portion of the suction tubing located within the sterile field must remain sterile, i.e., must not leave the sterile field, throughout the duration of the surgery. Since a certain amount of slack is required in the tubing to permit the suction tip to be moved about the operative field, it is necessary to place a bulky length of tubing on the patients chest, abdomen, or legs, this being the only available sterile storage area for the tubing. In this condition, the tubing interferes with the laying down of other instruments, and makes other steps in the operative procedure awkward. Furthermore, the tubing constantly becomes twisted and kinked during its use.

Another disadvantage of the existing system involves the fact that it is not uncommon for the sterile suction tubing, or a portion of it, or the suction tip, to fall ofi the operating table on to the floor, whereupon of course it becomes contaminated. When this occurs, any suction tubing remaining on the table must be dropped off and disconnected from the suction apparatus, and a new length of sterile tubing obtained and connected to the suction apparatus. This substitution obviously takes time, and should it be required when major bleeding occurs, which is the time when an aspirator is needed most, the delay may result in excessive blood loss and endanger the life of the patient.

It is a general object of the present invention to overcome these problems by providing a sterile storage region for the suction tubing, at periods of non-use during the progress of a surgical operation, which may be conveniently located within the sterile field.

It is another object of the invention to provide such an arrangement wherein the slack suction tubing may be withdrawn from and returned to the storage region quickly and easily.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such an arrangement which can readily be connected to a conventional suction source.

To accomplish these objectives, the invention provides a sheath which may be mounted at the operating table with at least one of its ends in the sterile field. Near or at that end, the sheath is provided with an opening through which a sterile length of tubing, stored in the sheath, may be withdrawn from and returned to the sheath. At its other end, the sheath is provided with another opening adapted to communicate with the usual suction apparatus. Except for these openings, the sheath is completely imperforate, and hence the interior of the sheath, defining the tubing storage region, cannot become contaminated. If the internal diameter of the sheath is made sufficiently larger than the tubing diameter, the tubing may be returned to storage merely by holding the end of the tubing attached to the suction tip directly over the opening in the sheath and lowering the tubing into the sheath. However, it is preferable for some more automatic type of return system to be employed. For example, the tubing may be made so that in its normal condition it assumes a spiral shape.

In any case, with the tubing in retracted position, only a portion of the suction tip, or at most little more than the suction tip, extends from the sheath. Therefore, there is no danger of the tubing or any part of it falling to the floor and becoming contaminated.

Additional features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description in which reference is made to the accompanying drawings.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an end elevation of an operating table during sur- FIG. 2 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through a sheath according to this invention; and

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of one end of a sheath.

Referring to FIG. 1, the sterile field within which a surgical operation is performed is, generally, the region occupied by the patient 10, the top 11 of the operating table, and the sheets 12 covering the patient and table. The region outside the sterile field, e.g., the floor 13, is unsterile.

A sheath 16, which may have a generally cylindrical shape, is provided for temporarily storing a length of suction tubing 17. The sheath may be supported at the operating table, such as by means of a tab 18 secured to the sheath. The tab may be pinned to the sheets 12 in any convenient location, either by a separate pin 19 or by a pin (not shown) permanently secured to the tab 18. In this way, at least the upper end (as viewed in the drawings) of the sheath 16 may be located within the sterile field. The length of the sheath should be such that when the operating table is in its lowest position of adjustment, the sheath does not touch the floor.

The sheath should be formed of a relatively rigid material capable of being sterilized, and if desired may be formed of a relatively inexpensive material, such as a suitable plastic, so that it may be disposed of after each use. The tubing should be formed of a flexible material, such as suitable plastic, capable of being sterilized and which may, if desired, be disposable. Both the sheath and the tubing must, of course, be sufficiently stiff so that they do not collapse when their interiors are subjected to suction.

At its upper end, the sheath 16 has an opening 22 through which the tubing 17 is withdrawn from, and returned to, the sheath. Since the opening 22 is within the sterile field, the interior of the sheath does not become contaminated through this opening. The lower end of the sheath is provided with means for connecting the sheath to a source of suction. This means may include, as shown in FIG. 2, a tapered region terminating in an axially arranged nipple 23 having external annular serrations, the end of tube 24 connected to a suction source (not shown) being stretched over the exterior of the nipple. The nipple 23 surrounds an opening 25 through which the suction source communicates with the interior of the sheath. Although the lower end of the sheath may extend into an unsterile region, since the opening 25 does not communicate with the surroundings, the interior of the sheath cannot become contaminated through this opening.

As mentioned above, the tubing 17 can simply be dropped into the sheath 16 for storage. However, for the sake of convenience and to make the device more helpful to the surgeon, some means may be provided to assist the retraction of the tubing. An example of such means is shown in FIG. 2 wherein the tubing 17 is formed so that it normally assumes the shape of a coil or helix 28, the lower end of the tubing being connected to an inwardly projecting extension 29 of the nipple 23. At its upper end, the tubing is furnished with a suction tip 30 of the usual type. When suction is needed, the tip 30 is pulled to the wound, and the tubing 17 tends to straighten as it is withdrawn from the sheath. After use, as the tip 30 is moved back toward the sheath, and due to the inherent resilience of the tubing material, the tubing 17 neatly coils upon itself within the sheath. If desired, a spring (not shown) may be employed to aid retraction of the tubing.

At its upper end, the sheath 16 is formed with a notch 38 (FIG. 3) within which the suction tip 30 may be rested while not in use. In the alternative, the opening 22 may be eliminated by closing the upper end of the sheath, and leaving only a side opening near the upper end similar to the notch 38. In such a case, the opening will be large enough to allow passage of the tubing, but will be too small to permit the widened region of the suction tip 30 to pass through it.

The invention has been shown and described in preferred form only, and by way of example, and many variations may be made in the invention which will still be comprised within its spirit. It is understood, therefore, that the invention is not limited to any specific form or embodiment except insofar as such limitations are included in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. For use in a surgical operating room wherein there is a sterile field at the operating table surrounded by an unsterile field,

a. a length of flexible tubing for transmitting suction to the sterile field,

b. a sheath of a size and weight which can readily be transported manually by a single person and readily sterilized, and having an inside diameter larger than the outside diameter of said tubing, so that a portion of said tubing may be stored in said sheath but withdrawn at will,

c. means for removably securing said sheath at the operat' ing table with at least one end in the sterile field, said sheath having a first opening near said one end, said sheath having a length such that when the usual operating table is in its lowest position of adjustment said sheath does not touch the floor,

d. means for connecting the other end of said sheath to a source of suction, said sheath having a second opening near said other end through which said suction source can communicate with the interior of said sheath,

e. one end of said tubing being arranged within said sheath and communicating with the suction source, said tubing extending out of said sheath through said first opening and having a normal collapsed condition, said tubing being stressed when pulled out of said sheath and returning to its collapsed condition within said sheath upon being released, and

f. said sheath being completely closed except for said openings near its ends, whereby the interior of said sheath always remains sterile and prevents contamination of said tubing during the periods that the latter is stored within said sheath.

2. The arrangement defined in claim 1 wherein said tubing assumes a helical shape when in collapsed condition.

3. The arrangement defined in claim 1, wherein said tubing includes a widened region, and the upper end of said sheath is formed with a notch having a dimension smaller than said widened region.

4. The arrangement defined in claim 3 wherein the upper end of said sheath is closed except for said notch.

5. The arrangement defined in claim 3 including a tubular extension within said sheath communicating with said second opening, said one end of said tubing being connected to said extension.

6. The arrangement defined in claim 5 wherein said means (d) and said extension form an integral tube, one end of said tube being outside said sheath and the other being inside said sheath. 

1. For use in a surgical operating room wherein there is a sterile field at the operating table surrounded by an unsterile field, a. a length of flexible tubing for transmitting suction to the sterile field, b. a sheath of a size and weight which can readily be transported manually by a single person and readily sterilized, and having an inside diameter larger than the outside diameter of said tubing, so that a portion of said tubing may be stored in said sheath but withdrawn at will, c. means for removably securing said sheath at the operating table with at least one end in the sterile field, said sheath having a first opening near said one end, said sheath having a length such that when the usual operating table is in its lowest position of adjustment said sheath does not touch the floor, d. means for connecting the other end of said sheath to a source of suction, said sheath having a second opening near said other end through which said suction source can communicate with the interior of said sheath, e. one end of said tubing being arranged within said sheath and communicating with the suction source, said tubing extending out of said sheath through said first opening and having a normal collapsed condition, said tubing being stressed when pulled out of said sheath and returning to its collapsed condition within said sheath upon being released, and f. said sheath being completely closed except for said openings near its ends, whereby the interior of said sheath always remains sterile and prevents contamination of said tubing during the periods that the latter is stored within said sheath.
 2. The arrangement defined in claim 1 wherein said tubing assumes a helical shape when in collapsed condition.
 3. The arrangemenT defined in claim 1, wherein said tubing includes a widened region, and the upper end of said sheath is formed with a notch having a dimension smaller than said widened region.
 4. The arrangement defined in claim 3 wherein the upper end of said sheath is closed except for said notch.
 5. The arrangement defined in claim 3 including a tubular extension within said sheath communicating with said second opening, said one end of said tubing being connected to said extension.
 6. The arrangement defined in claim 5 wherein said means (d) and said extension form an integral tube, one end of said tube being outside said sheath and the other being inside said sheath. 